Admissions and Eligibility
When should I begin the application process?
We recommend that applicants begin the process at least one academic year in advance and no later than January 1 of the year in which they hope to begin their studies. Applications are accepted until the start of the semester or until the cohort is full, whichever occurs first. Admission to a doctoral program is much more involved than admission to most master’s degree programs for several reasons. First, the Doctoral Program in Curriculum and Instruction requires all applicants to make a five-minute, research-based, recorded presentation and submit it to the program coordinator. This requires applicants to review the literature and prepare carefully for a formal presentation.
A second reason is so that doctoral students can take advantage of the full range of support mechanisms in place at IUP. Some students apply for graduate assistantships, and a student must be officially accepted into the program before any offer of an
assistantship is made. The deadline for graduate assistant applications is March 15; therefore, a student would need to be admitted to the program prior to that date. Also, for K-12 teachers, there are many school and district policies
that impinge upon doctoral studies. Applicants need to consider their district policies on such issues as tuition remission, sabbaticals, and requirements concerning full-time status. The timing of such long-range plans has implications for the start
date.
Finally, a third reason to apply at least one year in advance is to reserve a place in the cohort. Cohort sizes are limited and a waiting list will be established once the cohort cap is met.
Do I need a degree in education to be considered for admission to the program?
The Doctoral Program in Curriculum and Instruction is housed in the College of Education and Communications in the Department of Professional Studies in Education. Virtually all of the students in the program have extensive backgrounds in education and classroom teaching experience at some level in the educational system, ranging from early childhood/elementary to postsecondary education to higher education. An education degree is not required, but applicants are most successful with a strong background in education or an education-related field.
Additionally, the Doctoral Program in Curriculum and Instruction includes the option of earning the Supervisor of Curriculum and Instruction Certificate from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in conjunction with the six-credit Supervised Doctoral Internship. This is an “add on” certificate. In other words, in order for a student to earn the Supervisor of Curriculum and Instruction, she or he must already have a valid Instructional II Certificate in Pennsylvania and five years of successful teaching experience.
Earning this Supervisor of Curriculum and Instruction Certificate requires the student to design, implement, and assess an interdisciplinary curriculum project in the public schools as well as produce a professional portfolio that documents the project. It also requires that applicants pass the Praxis test that is required of those seeking to become a principal in the State of Pennsylvania. The portfolio must comply with detailed guidelines set by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Of course, students may elect not to pursue this certificate. International students, for example, cannot choose this option because they do not hold a teaching certificate from Pennsylvania. Other internships (for example, in higher education) are possible; however, all supervised doctoral internships must have a clear connection to education and result in a professional development project that is “above and beyond” any normal work duties of the candidate.
How broad is the mission and scope of the Doctoral Program in Curriculum and Instruction?
The stated mission of the Doctoral Program in Curriculum and Instruction is to prepare teacher educators and curriculum specialists. Typically, teacher educators are future college and university faculty with a commitment to the undergraduate preparation
of teachers. Teacher educators may also be public school personnel who have responsibility for curriculum and the professional development of practicing teachers. Curriculum specialists may work in many capacities in public, private, parochial, and
alternative schools. It is not the case that “curriculum and instruction” is a catch-all for any program in any field with any type of educational function. Rather, the Doctorate in Education (DEd) earned through the Doctoral Program in Curriculum
and Instruction is the highest degree in education and, consistent with its mission, it is most appropriate for teacher educators and curriculum specialists.
At times, the path of an applicant's career may have brought him or her into undergraduate teacher preparation, such as a person with a degree in mathematics who is teaching at a community college or a person with a degree in music who is working with
future teachers. Under such conditions, it is the applicant's responsibility to clearly demonstrate how the mission of the Doctoral Program in Curriculum and Instruction is consistent with her or his professional goals. One mechanism
for doing this is the goals statement that applicants are required to write as part of the process of applying to the School of Graduate Studies and Research. An applicant's goals statement should reflect consistency between the mission of the doctoral
program and the prospective student's professional goals.
Prospective doctoral students' backgrounds and goals must clearly match the mission of the program. If a student is attempting to make a career change, he or she may need to acquire a background in education (e.g., enroll in masters-level courses in education)
before applying to the program.
When are international students admitted?
It is a federal policy that international students must be enrolled on main campus. Usually, international students are required to be full-time. The main campus cohorts begin in the fall of even years (2016, 2018, 2020, etc.). International students on visas cannot begin in the fall of odd numbered years (2017, 2019, 2021, etc.) as these cohorts meet at Dixon University Center, which is considered an off-campus site.
How are admissions decisions made?
The admission process includes three components: (1) a review of the applicant's credentials, (2) an evaluation of the applicant's five-minute, research-based presentation, and (3) an assessment of the online writing task that is produced in response to a professional journal article.
It typically takes several weeks for applicants to be notified of the admission decision. At that point, applicants are categorized as pre-candidates by the School of Graduate Studies and Research. Pre-candidates receive official doctoral candidate status after passing the candidacy exam during their first year of coursework.
What types of financial support are available to doctoral students?
Each year, the School of Graduate Studies and Research awards graduate assistantships to qualified students. These awards are based on scholarship rather than financial need. Graduate assistants must be available to work with a faculty mentor on a research project or departmental project. A graduate assistant earns a modest stipend and receives a tuition waiver. Prospective students who are interested in a graduate assistantship can visit the School of Graduate Studies and Research website to learn more about this program and other forms of financial assistance.
When will I be notified of about an assistantship?
It is not possible to offer a graduate assistantship to an applicant until after the person has been officially admitted to the program. For the Doctoral Program in Curriculum and Instruction, this means that the student would have a complete application packet, a positive departmental review, and an official admission letter from the School of Graduate Studies and Research. The Professional Studies in Education Department is obligated to make the decisions about graduate assistant assignments by the end of June.